Holding a notepad up to show the list of injured players, Matt Collins slapped it back on his office table and shook his head.

Over the last eight practices, the Hartnell College coach lost 12 players for possibly the entire season for various reasons — eight of which were potential starters.

“Two weeks ago we looked like a good football team,”” Collins said. “We still do. But now I am concerned. Now I go home, turn on the sprinklers and sit in them for 20 minutes.””

With the Panthers season opener eight days away, Collins has had to make adjustments on the fly. He has moved three defensive lineman to the offensive side to shore up a depleted line.

“My fear is depth, not talent,”” Collins said. “We have skilled players that I haven”t had in the past. But until you get thrown into the mix, you don”t know how they”re going to react.””

Without a scrimmage this year, Collins has been forced to simulate games in practice. There has been more hitting in practice. The result has been more freak injuries.

“One kid suffered a hernia, another a dislocated shoulder,”” Collins said. “We had another kid blow out his ACL when he was hit on the side by a helmet. If you don”t hit, how else do you get them ready?”

Collins has struggled to develop an identity in his first two years at Hartnell. A winless first season was followed by a two-win campaign last fall in the program”s return to the Coast Conference.

The Panthers, who have suffered three straight losing seasons after winning the conference title in 2005, finished near the bottom in the state rankings in nearly every offensive and defensive category.

“Two wins wasn”t satisfying,”” Collins said. “Some games we threw away. But our players have bought into what we are preaching. We”re close. If the evolution stays on course, we could have a positive year.””

Collins realizes winning will attract more local talent. In the meantime, he has been forced to build his program with several prized athletes from out the district.

“This game is about bodies,”” Collins said. “I”ve got to fill a roster. We have 40-plus local kids. But at this level, that is not enough. These kids want a place to play. I want to put Hartnell back on the map.””

Before the injuries, the Panthers were suiting up 72 players.

Perhaps his biggest addition was convincing former Monterey coach Pete Noble to come out of retirement to be his defensive coordinator.

“The minute he retired, I called him,”” Collins said.

Anchoring that defense will be a pair of North Salinas graduates in strong safety Mark Ramos and defensive tackle Charles Russell.

Last season Ramos rushed for over 1,300 yards and was a punishing hitter on defense while the 276 pound Russell chalked up 19 sacks to help North Salinas to its first league title in 25 years.

“It was Mark”s choice to play defense,”” Collins said. “And Russell is just a beast.””

Joining Ramos in the secondary is former North Salinas teammate Bobby Bautista while Greenfield graduate Aaron Zamora will see the field as a free safety.

The linebacking core will include former Salinas product Vaughn Soratos and Kiero Small. Vincent Bain returns on the defensive line.

Rebuilding an offense that scored seven or fewer points five times last fall starts at quarterback where Atascadero graduate Brad Smet and Canadian native Yan Cyr are battling for the job. Last year Cyr threw 25 touchdown passes for a JC in Minnesota.

“We are trying to be consistent with our schemes,”” Collins said. “But we”re going to add more to the package this year because we have more talent. I”d like our offense to be more balanced.””

Who ever is behind center, they”ll have one of the more explosive players in the conference to throw the ball to in Santa Rosa transfer Tim Smith.

The offensive line will be anchored by 305-pound returning starter Dan Jimenez, an Alisal alum, and one-time North County lineman Riley Glenn.

“Even with the injuries, the moral this year is higher,”” Collins said. “There is a lot of positive energy with this group. A lot of these kids are used to winning. The expectation is to win, not hope.”